


half timing, half luck (but mostly, it's just trouble)

by tjmraso



Category: Dong Bang Shin Ki, JYJ - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fuck the brocode, M/M, Random and all over the place, Twisted and Fluffy Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-18
Updated: 2012-10-18
Packaged: 2017-11-16 14:12:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/540311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tjmraso/pseuds/tjmraso
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Coffee.<br/>1.<br/><i>a : a beverage made by percolation, infusion, or decoction from the roasted and ground seeds of a coffee plant</i><br/>b : any of several Old World tropical plants (genus Coffea and especially C. arabica and C. canephora) of the madder family that are widely cultivated in warm regions for their seeds from which coffee is prepared<br/>c : coffee seeds especially roasted and often ground — compare arabica, robusta (instant coffee)<br/>d : a dehydrated product made from brewed coffee ;<br/><i>2.: a cup of coffee (two coffees)</i><br/>also: a beverage required by a lot of people early in the morning for their day to be enjoyable and the events to make any sense. In Shim Changmin's case it is even more than that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	half timing, half luck (but mostly, it's just trouble)

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. In advance, I would like to apologize for the grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. I tried my best, but seeing how English is not my native language (and yes, I choose to write in it), I hope those can be forgiven.  
> 2\. This thing was born during one of my frequent sleepless nights and despite the 'slice-of-life' feeling (that I was going for, don't know how well it came across) seems like the weirdest thing I've ever written.

Without coffee, Changmin finds sometimes, there's not much life can offer.  
Coffee is something that gets you pumped for the day to come in the morning, something that helps you stay awake throughout the most boring course you're taking just because you need the credit to graduate, something that straightens you out when you're drunk and really need to get home, but fail every time you try to stand on your feet before the bartender slides that cup in front of you and you take the first sip, and then suddenly for a brief period of time you're all better.  
"Personally," he said once to his best friend, "I don't get why you switched to tea. What are you, British?" Junsu looked at him as if Changmin had brain damage or something and went into another one of his rants about health and ways coffee screws with a person's body. And, being as good in denial as he was, he blocked Junsu out and took another sip of his caramel latte. With two extra shots.  
And just to be clear, Changmin has a lot of respect for the British and he gets fanboyish over the British Empire. He just doesn't care much for tea.  
Apart from his love for coffee, Changmin has a lot of it for other things. Like Starbucks. And Star Wars. And Google. And Harry Potter.  
That's why he starts another Monday at the far corner table in the previously mentioned establishment, clutching the book tightly in his hands. He doesn't have any classes he needs to go to for another couple of hours, and he chooses to read Prisoner of Azkaban for a hundredth, no less, time, instead of taking Junsu up on his offer and coming over to his place to watch daytime soaps and drink tea.  
And he doesn't have much against soap operas and their crazy shenanigans. It's tea that's the deal breaker.  
"Now I thought you were going to study all morning," Junsu says as he flops down on the opposite chair with a huge cup of darjeeling in his hands. "That's why you refused to watch Days with me, right? There's stuff going on there, you know! Important stuff!"  
Surprisingly, Changmin doesn't find Junsu's obsession with Days of our lives odd or out of place. Growing up in a predominantly Korean neighborhood, they both often found their grandmothers on either of their porches, discussing the latest events on the said soap and comparing them to television programs they used to watch back in Korea, before moving to the States. He still remembers some of the stories they talked about and finds the genre fascinating.  
"Okay, what's that important stuff of yours?" Changmin asks because he knows the answer and he feels like annoying Junsu for a bit.  
Junsu snorts. "The storyline, what else?"  
It's Changmin's turn to laugh, though. "The one that started back in February?" He takes pleasure in watching Junsu's cheeks go pink before asking the next question Junsu really should've seen coming. "Anything happen yet?"  
"Uhm," Junsu said, "not really? But there's stuff going on, and it is important..."  
Changmin laughs into his mug. "Text me when something does happen," he says and takes a sip of the ginger macchiato that's already getting cold. The book lays on the edge of the small table, dangerously close to Junsu's elbow. The older man glances over it and snickers. "So, reading something you already know by heart for god knows which time is better?"  
Changmin doesn't justify the question with any kind of a response. Junsu stares at him, intently. "How's Yunho?"  
Sore spot hit, success. Changmin moves his cup to the side of the table and his book falls down on the floor. Junsu's the one who bends to pick it up.  
"You know how he refused to come out of the closet because he thought his parents might not love him anymore? Well, this fear didn't stop him from cheating on me with every hot guy who laid his eyes on my lovely little boyfriend."  
Junsu shakes his head. "It's not like you didn't do the same, dongsaeng," he says, shrugging, "do I need to remind you of that psych major kid that got you drunk on Thanksgiving? Or the guy who sucked you off between classes last semester? Or Yoochun?"  
Now, there are low blows and pathetic slaps, and by the change of Changmin's facial expression it's really easy to figure out what's what.  
"Yoochun and I have history, it was not that easy to let go of," he shrugs, "and when the whole thing with him started again, Yunho and I weren't exclusive."  
"You never were anyway. Talk or no talk, you two have screwed each other over too many times. Then why the fuck are you so upset?" Junsu starts getting upset, and that fact really worries Changmin.  
"Because I loved him, you idiot!" Changmin snaps, unwillingly commanding the attention of the entire room. As soon as the customers and staff return to whatever they were doing, he continues. "And it's not like I'm not sorry I cheated, it's just -- it was really hard to be in a relationship with him."  
Junsu snorts loudly. "Uh-huh, and relationships are supposed to be easy, right? Everything falling into right places just because you love each other?"  
Changmin shrugs. "Well yeah, aren't they?"  
Junsu laughs his ass off before dragging Changmin to his place to watch Days.  
Changmin takes a mocha to go and finishes it in less than ten minutes.

O

"Oh, come on, it's going to be fun!" Yoochun exclaims grabbing Jaejoong's elbow, "we'll go out, we'll have fun, drink a bit, get you laid--"  
Jaejoong has this strange feeling that no matter what he really wants to do this night, he's going out, getting drunk and getting laid. There's no use arguing with Yoochun and to be quiet honest, he hasn't tried it for a long while. Or gotten laid. And it's not like he really needs to.  
So he agrees. "Okay, sure." He also wants to stop talking about himself. "How are you doing? How's that kid you always talk about?"  
"Changmin," Yoochun sighs, "he's with somebody, has been for almost a year. And don't get me wrong, I'm over him, but not quiet over his dick."  
Jaejoong scowls a little. Only Yoochun, only this guy can talk about someone's dick as if his heart's been broken just now and not over three years ago. “Sure, you’re over him.”  
Yoochun, the bastard, makes enough effort to lean over the table and smack Jaejoong on the head. “Seriously. You can have him if you want.” Jaejoong finds it difficult to believe Yoochun’d really be okay with that, no matter how convincing he sounds. “What, you don’t believe me? Come out tonight, we’ll go to the club he frequents, and if he’s there - you should totally get with him. Best I’ve ever had, I’m telling you.”  
So maybe that’s the thing. If Changmin’s the best Yoochun’s ever had, and Yoochun’d had plenty, maybe the world doesn’t want to lose an incredible fuck to a committed relationship. That’s not nature’s way, it obviously doesn’t approve monogamy, wolves being the necessary exception to the rule.  
“Okay,” he says and sighs loudly, “we’ll go to that club we never go to because Changmin’s there so I can make a move and maybe convince him to give me a blowjob in the back room.” There’s a huge tear in the logic here but Yoochun doesn’t seem to notice.  
Instead, he snickers into his palm. “Don’t worry, if you’re there and he notices you - the blowjob isn’t the only thing you’re guaranteed.” He looks incredibly sad for a couple of seconds, but recovers quickly and sips his coffee. “That’s disgusting. We should really switch to Starbucks.”  
Jaejoong leans down and sniffs his own untouched cup. “Yeah. As soon as we use all the fucking gift certificates.”  
Yoochun ends up calling him some names for making THE BEST FRIEND suffer for Jaejoong’s greed.

O

Changmin values his after-meal naps, so when Junsu starts yelling in his ear, he throws a tight fist in general direction hoping to hit his friend. He misses by an inch and falls asleep again. Starts to, anyway, because Junsu’s determined to get him out of bed and dressed all pretty and make his hair shine and go to the club because it’s Thursday before a three-day holiday weekend and it’s time to ‘parteeeeeeeey!!!!’. Changmin’s okay with partying, it’s the parteeeeeeeeeying he has a problem with.  
But when Junsu starts pinching his ass, Changmin shoots up from the bed and runs to the bathroom, cursing under his breath. He picks up a shirt and a pair of jeans from the armchair on the way, and, fifteen minutes later, when he walks back out into the living room, he looks like a rainbow-colored dream. His hair is indeed shiny, his dark purple shirt fits perfectly, revealing just enough skin to make searching for more quiet an attractive challenge. He has his black skinny jeans on and when he twirls around Junsu gives a high whistle of approval. Changmin always figured that’s what dolphins sound like.  
He also has only one sock on. It’s black and has a tiny hole over the big toe. “Where’s the red one?” Changmin demands and looks around frantically, hoping it’s just laying around somewhere on the floor, amongst the blue and green and yellow ones. Junsu sighs and takes the red sock out of the drawer.  
“Why can’t you just wear the same socks like normal people do?”  
Changmin jumps on one leg, pulling the sock up, “‘cause we’re going out and it’s been a very long time since I’ve had a one night stand. And you know why?” Junsu nods, but Changmin keeps talking. “Same socks. Whoever said a person is supposed to match his or her socks was a fucking moron. Or that person was so fucked up, he or she never wanted others to have any fun.” Obviously, he sees logic in this. Junsu doesn’t, but he’s been friends with Changmin for a long enough time to know that there’s no use to arguing.  
They get to the club and it’s already packed and there’s a huge line in front of it, and Changmin doesn’t know the bouncers. Junsu does, but they don’t know Junsu. They know Changmin, so the pair cuts in line and gets in no problem.  
“What is this, gay grinding night?” Changmin asks after throwing one uninterested look on the dance floor. “I’m going to the bar.” And so he does, leaving Junsu in the company of two potential suitors who look just nice enough to trust them with his best friend.  
See, at night, with the help of a couple Sambucas and a mojito Changmin becomes a different person. The first night he went out, with a fake ID and everything, he was a nervous wreck and stood in line for almost two hours. But when he did get in, he spotted Yoochun at the bar, and got himself into a bit of a situation involving tequila shots, neck licking and getting his cherry popped in one of the bathroom stalls. After that time, he just faked it ‘till he made it. To the bar and the drinks.  
Over the years he found out which were his favourites and which got him in trouble.  
Tonight he wants to get in trouble.

O

They ride to Changmin’s place in silence. they barely even touch, only whenever the driver takes a fast turn, Changmin basically squishes Jaejoong into the door. “You okay?” he asks every time, and every single time Jaejoong nods, breath uneven simply from the contact with the other’s heated body.  
Here’s the thing about Changmin, Jaejoong gets it now. It’s way too easy to imagine his face when he’s sliding up and down your cock and throws his head back, thrashing around when you hit his prostate. It’s way too easy to imagine the way his bangs fall down on his eyes when his head bobs up and down, your cock in those lips that are just slightly parted now. But they can be red and abused and he can be all messed up, and that’s a sight no one would want to miss. It’s way too easy to imagine him like that, cheeks flushed with red, fingers trembling and toes curling as he comes. And he probably doesn’t disappoint.  
Jaejoong’s so lost in his thoughts he doesn’t notice that they’re already by Changmin’s door and he’s checking his pockets looking for keys. He seems just a little bit different from what he was in the club; there’s something from that photo Yoochun still keeps in his movements, something nervous and unsteady. And Jaejoong doesn’t want that. Yoochun’d promised him the best night of his life, and he only wants that. So he takes charge--  
-slipping his hand down Changmin’s front pocket and pressing closer. Changmin freezes for a second or two, then presses back and reaches to the left to get the spare key from its hiding place under the fire extinguisher. Jaejoong’s hand still in his pocket, his half-hard cock pressed to Changmin’s ass, the kid doesn’t waste any time opening the door and stumbling in with Jaejoong right behind him. And when they get to the bedroom, Jaejoong turns Changmin around, fixes the younger’s hair, intending to mess it all up later, and presses a smile against his lips.  
“Am I insane for doing this?” he whispers, forehead pressed to the bridge of Changmin’s nose. He doesn’t know why he just said something like that and why should he get an honest answer even. So when Changmin says --  
“You’re not. You can’t be. Don’t take this away,” Jaejoong stares right into his eyes and all he sees is sincerity. It’s blurry and out of focus, but it’s there. And it’s all he needs to know before pushing his tongue into Changmin’s mouth, then pushing Changmin down on the mushy carpet and tearing the shirt off of him, buttons flying in random directions. Changmin laughs against his lips and nips at the sensitive spot under Jaejoong’s jaw. 

O

Jaejoong wakes up in his own bed, Yoochun leaning towards him. Jaejoong has to admit that he’d woken up to worse things than Yoochun’s puffy face and hangover breath. But this morning, somehow, even though he remembers taking the taxi home in the middle of the night, leaving Changmin at his own flat, laying under the covers, half-asleep. He remembers pressing a small kiss to Changmin’s forehead before leaving the place. But somehow when he wakes up and sees Yoochun and realizes that he’s alone in his own twin-sized bed, he wishes he’d somehow figured out a way to stay back at Changmin’s flat, wake up to a warm body next to his own and probably even cook breakfast, since from what Yoochun’d said about the kid it had been pretty easy to figure out that the way to Changmin’s heart definitely lays through his stomach.  
“How’d it go?” asks Yoochun and his voice sounds unexpectedly cheerful, “had a good night?” Maybe he’s really over it.  
Jaejoong stares at his friend for a couple long moments, sighs and shrugs. “Do you mind if I ask him out?”  
Yoochun’s giving Jaejoong a look of mocking disbelief until he realizes that his hyung is in fact serious. Then there’s nothing mocking about his look. “Are you for real? What, you have a one night stand and you think you’re in love? Did you even talk?”  
Jaejoong thinks about it for a while. He remembers how in the midst of sure touches sometimes a small gentle and uncertain one would slip, remembers how the seductive look turned into a boyishly exited one just before Jaejoong’s fingers brushed over his nose in a out-of-place gesture, and most importantly he remembers that one look Changmin probably thought Jaejoong didn’t notice, like he really didn’t want him to leave.  
Yoochun interrupts Jaejoong’s bittersweet trail of thoughts. “Sure, ask him out. You’re going to be crushed, but whatever, you know? I don’t give a damn.”

-

Changmin finds himself in a similar situation. He wakes up to sticky sheets still a little bit damp from the sweat, his hair is a mess and his head hurts like there are a thousand gnomes banging their hammers on his skull. From the inside. There are two good things about this morning, though. The first one being Junsu standing beside Changmin’s bed, a cup of freshly brewed coffee in his hand. Changmin pushes himself up on his elbows and takes the drink from his hyung, nodding thankfully; and the second one is that stupid smell of someone else on the pillows, the sheets, the covers, all over the bed, mixed with Changmin’s own. This reminder of the night before makes him smile like a complete idiot, as he recalls the best moments.  
“Who was it this time?” Junsu asks, sitting down on the edge of the bed. Changmin groans and rolls his eyes.  
“Jaejoong. Handsome as fuck,” he muses.  
“Just a bit shorter than you, dark brown hair, ” Junsu adds, “also, a couple of years older. That Jaejoong? With wings tattooed on his back?”  
Changmin stares, dumbfounded. “How do you know that?”  
“Yoochun’s best friend Jaejoong? That Jaejoong?” Junsu continues, growing angrier and angrier, “you’ve screwed Yoochun’s best friend?”  
“Well, I’ve never met him before,” Changmin mutters, “and he probably didn’t know who I am. So we’re fine here, right?” he asks. Junsu shakes his head, disapproving, and walks out of the room. Changmin puts the coffee on the bedside table and hides his head under the pillow, groaning.

O

It’s a Sunday afternoon, and Changmin and Junsu are sitting at their usual table at the coffee shop. Changmin’s sipping his mocca with two extra shots like it’s ambrosia while Junsu surfs the net on his laptop while his tea’s getting cold. They’re both regretting the decision to have a whole day to rest properly and do absolutely nothing. Three hours into the day of endless nothingness Junsu’d grabbed his laptop, Changmin’d grabbed his book, and they sprinted down the street to at least get out of the house to be around people who are not each other. Usually Changmin likes being alone in a quiet flat, or with Junsu in the slightly louder flat, but when the rest and depriving himself of any other human company became obligatory, it also became insanely painful and hard to cope with.  
He’s reading a very boring huge-ass textbook for his Political Science class and make notes on the margins. In ink. Junsu seems to have found something entertaining and is giggling like a madman. At times Changmin exchanges looks with some of the staff, just to make sure they know he knows how stupid his friend looks and that Junsu’s not crazy, and even if he is, Changmin can handle him.  
“Hello,” comes the familiar voice from behind his shoulder. Changmin closes the book, and his fingers are shaking. No, he thinks, screwing Yoochun’s best friend was fucked up. Because his best friend, Jaejoong, is right there and Changmin doesn’t even see him, he just knows. It’s Yoochun’s tone, really. There’s a special smugness to it, and it makes Yoochun suck at poker. He can not hide having leverage, never could, really.  
“Yoochun!” Changmin exclaims, standing up and faking enthusiasm. He proceeds to give Yoochun a tight hug and kisses Jaejoong on the cheek, as close to the corner of his lips as he can without actually touching them. He does it on purpose, to check the reaction and has to admit that Yoochun’s poker face has gotten a bit better. He’s fiddling with the hem of his shirt, though, and that’s a giveaway. Junsu’s smiling, looking oblivious, but Changmin’s sure that he’s not. And Jaejoong, with him Changmin can’t really tell.  
As expected, Yoochun and Jaejoong sit down at their table. Yoochun has a huge mug filled with decaf black coffee and Jaejoong’s drink smells like a macchiato with one extra shot and some cinnamon. Changmin definitely approves.  
“Wow, this is awkward,” says Junsu and that’s the exact moment it becomes awkward. “It’s like a plot from a soap. Are you guys going to fight over him now?” Changmin snorts loudly when Yoochun chokes on his coffee. Jaejoong’s silent, slapping his friend’s back. Now that’s a poker face to be cherished and admired. 

Changmin and Junsu leave first, bidding polite goodbyes to the baristas, as usual. Changmin has a full paper cup in his hand and Junsu’s sipping ice tea through a green straw. Yoochun and Jaejoong, on the other hand, are still inside, both carefully planning what to say next. And just like it usually happens in movies and on TV, they both speak at the same time.  
“So, now that you’ve...”  
“I want to ask him out.”  
“Still?” Yoochun wonders, dumbfounded.  
Jaejoong’s grin is taking over his entire face. “Yeah.”  
“But he talked, a lot,” reasons Yoochun seconds before giving up. “Sure, fine, ask him out. But don’t come crawling to me when he dumps your ass for the new pretty boy.”  
“Are you going to be fine with is? With your history?”  
Yoochun takes about half a minute to think about it. “Yeah, I am. I was only ever happy seeing his playful, fun side. I’ve never been comfortable around that kid when he was hurt or pissed off, or angry. He’s screwed in the head, a little bit, you know?” Jaejoong knows, he realized it that night. He knows and he’s okay with that. It’s just that there is something -- he can’t quiet put his finger on it -- something that clicked. For him, at least. It clicked and at one point during that night, laying back on the bed with Changmin breathing heavily next to him, he felt something he’d never experienced before and he wanted to feel it one more time. Or two. Three. Every day, really, every single day. He doesn’t have a name for it, yet, but he wants to do it properly this time. He wants to give it a real try.  
So he doesn’t waste any time. Jaejoong’s fingers fly over the screen of his phone and he curses a lot as autocorrect screwing with his life, again. And, as fate has it, as soon as he hits the ‘send’ button, his phone starts ringing. He doesn’t recognize the number.  
“Hello?”  
“Oh shit! You scared me,” says the voice from the phone. Jaejoong checks the number again.  
“Who is this?” he asks.  
“Ahh, I forgot you don’t have my number yet. It’s Changmin,” says the voice and Jaejoong, mouth hanging open in surprise, checks the number again.  
“How did-- where did you get my number?”  
“Junsu asked around. Anyway,” Changmin doesn’t pause for a second, “do you want to go see ‘The Avengers’ on Tuesday? I won a contest and got two free tickets and Junsu doesn’t deserve this kind of honor.”  
Jaejoong’s mouth opens even wider for a few seconds. He meets Yoochun’s eyes and closes it. “And I do?”  
Changmin gets serious then. “Don’t you like superheroes, hyung? Don’t you like Joss Whedon? What exactly do you have against Iron Man? It’s Scarlett Johansson, isn’t it? Hyung, with all the Loki you’re not even to going to notice her. Promise.”  
“No, Changmin-ah, stop, that’s not what I meant...”  
“Also, if Yoochun-hyung’s there, pretend we’re just going out, not going out to see ‘The Avengers’.”  
“So, you’re really asking me out, huh?” Jaejoong grins as Yoochun’s eyes go wide.  
Changmin responds with a loud sigh. “Hyung, why are you so slow? I just told you ‘we’re going out’. What’s not clear about that?”  
“Maybe the fact that I haven’t even said yes yet?”  
“Yet.”  
Oh, fuck it, Jaejoong thinks. Fuck the bro-code, fuck every single reason he shouldn’t do it. “Check your e-mail when you get home, call me back and tell me what you think.”  
Changmin whispers “okay, stay on the line,” and he suddenly sounds really small. Jaejoong hears typing and cursing and some clicking. “I don’t have any new mail,” says Changmin after about thirty-four heartbeats.  
“Your spam folder, then.”  
There’s more clicking. “That gallery opening,” Changmin says, “I would’ve said yes if it was someone else’s gallery.”  
Jaejoong furrows his eyebrows. “Why, what do you have against Jung Yunho?” Yoochun throws his head back in a hysterical fit.  
“His paintings are like Fellini’s movies. He doesn’t even know what that shit’s all about.”

Fifteen minutes later, when Jaejoong gets off the phone, he snaps his fingers to get his friend’s attention. Yoochun’s having fun flirting with the barista, but from the far corner there’s not much he can do. So his flirting is more like smiling like a creeper and glaring at the poor girl.  
“You used to say that I can’t meet Changmin because he’s in the closet, doesn’t want to meet your friends, is an inconsiderate asshole. Was any of it true?”  
Yoochun’s face falls and he shakes his head, guilt taking over.  
In response, Jaejoong gives him a smile and a reassuring pat on the shoulder.  
If he and Changmin end up having a shitty date and never speak to each other again, he and Yoochun are going to be fine. If he and Changmin end up getting married and adopting Chinese babies, Jaejoong thinks, he and Yoochun are still going to be fine. Bro-code be damned, their friendship has survived worse than Yoochun giving up on his infatuation over Changmin. After all, Jaejoong reasons with himself, this is just a date. The chances of it working aren’t that high, not at all. But he’s tired of being alone, and Yoochun knows that, and that night, for the first time with someone other than his best friend, he felt like he wasn’t.

O

Changmin’s waiting for Jaejoong next to the Starbucks that’s the closest to the movie theatre. They don’t have to get the tickets and they have an hour and a half before the movie starts and Changmin’s been here for about twenty minutes already. Jaejoong’s not late, it’s just that Changmin managed to get everything done a bit earlier than expected (definitely not on purpose). He’s practically bouncing on his feet when Jaejoong appears from around the corner. Changmin waves his hand, his entire arm, really, ecstatic. He doesn’t even know what he expects, his hyung to start running? Jaejoong’s steps are still sure and just as fast as they were before Changmin started flailing his limbs about.  
“Hyung, hyung!” he starts shouting when Jaejoong’s only about ten feet away, “come here!”

The problem, as Changmin explains, is this.  
“So at my usual place, there’s this barista. She never lets me have more than three extra shots in my latte. So when I came here, hoping to get the perfect four, imagine my surprise at seeing her behind the cash register! Turns out, she asked to be transferred or something...”  
Jaejoong smiles up at Changmin, reaches out and takes his dongsaeng by the hand.  
“Come on,” he says, “there’s another one just around the corner.”  
Changmin looks at their intertwined fingers and smiles right back. “See? That’s what I’ve been saying. There can never be too much coffee in the world.”


End file.
